IGN gave issue two of Bug a better than average 7.9 but as a longtime DC fan this comic is aimed straight at me. Forager travels back in time to WW II and meets up with the Golden Age Sandman as well as Sandy, the Golden Age Blue Beetle and from the DC war comics, The Losers. Now here is where my considerable knowledge of DC comics brings me joy. Although Jack Kirby did not create the Losers he did famously write and draw the series for a dozen issues and I happen to own them all. The Golden Age Sandman is wearing his purple and yellow skintight costume which is the costume he wore and Jack Kirby and Joe Simon took over the series. The previous comic featured the Garrett Sanford Sandman which was entirely a creation of Kirby and Simon. The original Blue Beetle was Dan Garret and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen DC use this version. He was produced by Fox comics whose characters were sold to Charlton Comics and eventually DC Comics. I just assumed the original Blue Beetle fell into the public domain but no, apparently DC actually owns the character. It turns out there is a tie between Blue Beetle and Jack Kirby as Kirby created a short lived comic strip using the Dan Gerret version.
There are lots of other references but I just love a story where the author clearly has a love of the rich history of comics. I also commend anyone who recognizes the greatness of Jack Kirby. Many references here are some Kirby’s early work in the 1940’s but no one can overestimate the influence of Kirby’s creative explosion on DC comics from 1971 to 1975. I just love comics that send me running to Wikipedia to find out more. It’s also cool that we have three members of the Allred family, including Lee, Michael and Laura. Lee and Michael are brothers while Laura is the wife of Michael.
So how would I have rated this comic if I didn’t have such a passion for Jack Kirby and DC comics history? Maybe a 7.9. For me, this comic is a gem but for someone with no history with these characters including Forager himself it may not resonate nearly as much. I really enjoyed this issue and am looking forward to the next four and the story is pretty good even if you don’t recognize all the characters involved. One thing that annoys me is that these lower print run comics are $3.99 instead of $2.99. It’s like DC Comics is saying, ‘oh, you want to try something different? Well here’s a smack in the face”
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